learn and create
Our workshops are a view of each season with an observation of medicinal plants using your senses. Each workshop starts with a garden walk to explore the variety of plants growing at Phytofarm and a sensory and visual sensation in the drying room. They contain discussions to excite your mind, tastes to stimulate your palate with a variety of edible plants from the garden and the Phytofarm pantry. Homemade crackers, medicinal hummus, nut cheeses, meadow plant pestos, fermented condiments, local goat cheese, plant-based chutneys, mini muffins, inulin rich beverage and seasonal tisanes. Food provided at the workshops will accommodate any special dietary requirements – vegan, vegetarian or gluten intolerant.
The workshops will inspire you to create your own medicinal plant garden, – on a farm, in a suburban garden or a courtyard garden using containers or vertical displays. Discover how to engage with plants to keep you well as we move around the sun. These workshops are a holistic view of “prevention is better than cure” and an observation of accessible local plants, the ones that very likely grow around you, but you just have not introduced yourself.
the workshops
Workshop programme: LEARN
In autumn, the workshop will focus on the value of roots and how berries provide valuable medicine.
- Autumn garden walk, the plants grown for the healing properties in their roots are dying back, and the garden view changes from the aerial perspective to the examination of roots and berries in the trees.
- Drying room experience and blending a decoction from roots and berries.
- We will have a discussion on the importance of gut flora as a key to our immune system function.
- Make and take home products with recipes:
Blend a tisane
A medicinal vinegar
An oxymel
A nutritional syrup
Sunday 27th April: 10 am – 2 pm BOOK HERE
Workshop: Dyeing to make an impression
Fashion is our social skill, it manifests in the market trends as well as our beliefs. Come and make your own Eco one-off printed creation
Where: Phytofarm Medicinal Plant Farm is excited to host this fantastic natural dyeing workshop, with plants onto fabric. 166 Okuti Valley Road, Little River, Banks Peninsula – 50 mins drive from Christchurch.
When: Sunday 4th May, 11.30 am – 4 pm. Maximum of 10 participants
What we will do: A mindful walk in the garden and forest to collect our dye ingredients. Make your own eco-printed scarf with a plant- a permanent wearable impression of your particular plant. Extract organic colours from fallen leaves and enjoy the permanent impressions on natural fibre.
Make an imprint on a scarf & an A4 printed paper design.
The Artist/Teacher:
Artists Philosophy: “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield’.
Arina Senior is an Architect/Artist who made Christchurch her home in 2002. She currently works on the Christchurch rebuild and is involved with heritage buildings. Apart from her architectural design work,she is a passionate urban forager and makes forays into local parks and nature surrounding Christchurch to collect ingredients for her dyeing projects.
Arina describes herself as a concept artist, who loves to use what is on hand to create beauty from natural materials and not control the process, but go with the flow of what nature presents.
Cost: $240, all materials to make your garment provided. Phytofarm will provide herbal tisanes, crackers and fruit. Bring a snack for lunch.
To Book: Email info@phytofarm.co.nz to check availability, then pay into: Phytofarm Trading 01-0653-0554449-00. Please identify payment with your name & Dyeing W/S.
Workshops that are booked can be cancelled three days prior to receive a full refund. After this time no refunds will be given but an alternative date can be booked for a 50% discount.
Other times for workshops and garden tours can be negotiated. Please contact Valmai to discuss. Group Specials: Please contact us to discuss any special requests or topics of interest. If you live outside the Canterbury area workshop days can be blocked together to limit travel costs.
